


Marry Me

by tehfanglyfish



Series: Merthur Week 2020 [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Merthur Week 2020, Modern Era, Post-Canon, Talk of Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:54:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28218054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tehfanglyfish/pseuds/tehfanglyfish
Summary: In which Arthur makes a proposal, Merlin thinks it's a joke, and Feelings are discussed.Written for Merthur Week 2020 – Day 1: “You’re an idiot.” “But you love me.” + Fluff
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Merthur Week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2068728
Comments: 43
Kudos: 218
Collections: Merthur Week 2020





	Marry Me

**Author's Note:**

> I have been excited for Merthur Week since I saw the first post announcing it. All my thanks to the mods for hosting it. What a great way to end a not-so-great year!
> 
> As always, written for love never money. Do not repost my work.

“Marry me.”

It came out half a question, half a command – an unexpected interruption to an otherwise uneventful Tuesday night spent lounging on the sofa, Arthur’s head resting in Merlin’s lap as they dozed in front of the television.

“Is that your idea of a proposal? I expected flowers at minimum and I’m pretty sure a ring is customary. A tournament too, under the right circumstances.”

“It’s not funny, Merlin.”

Arthur’s tone caught him off guard, far more serious than their usual playful banter.

“You weren’t joking. You mean it.”

Intense blue eyes met his own as he peered down at Arthur.

“I wouldn’t joke about that, Merlin. I’ve never been more serious in my life.”

“Arthur, marriage is just a piece of paper issued by the government to help people claim tax benefits. We’re bound by destiny. I don’t think bureaucratic documents can really do justice to what we share.”

“True. But humor me anyway…. Unless you don’t want to.”

Arthur’s voice grew soft and Merlin instantly regretted his response.

“This is really important to you.”

“It is.”

“Why?”

The silence that followed didn’t worry Merlin. Since Arthur’s return from Avalon, some fifteen hundred years after Merlin had watched him die, the man had grown more introspective, taking his time to think through his words before speaking. Merlin pretended to watch the television to give Arthur a semblance of privacy to sort his thoughts.

“I can understand why you might be wary,” Arthur finally began. “With Mithian, you saw me treat marriage like diplomatic strategy, and with Guinevere, a way to fulfill an expectation…”

It made sense that Arthur would hesitate to speak about those they’d known in Camelot. The centuries Merlin had waited helped ease the ache of loss, though it still sometimes felt as raw as it had been when he first began grappling with the less pleasant aspects of immortality. For Arthur, who had spent the centuries in the care of the Sidhe, only a couple of years had passed since he’d been king, surrounded by their old friends.

“I did love her, Merlin. I tried to be a good husband and I let her down.”

“You didn’t.” Merlin reached for Arthur’s hand to squeeze it.

“I did,” Arthur said, clutching Merlin’s fingers in his own. “She was one of my best friends, the only woman I ever felt completely at ease around, mostly because she accepted me, flaws and all. She was one of the only people apart from you who made me feel safe enough to drop my guard. And I took that friendship and tried to force it into something else. I thought I was doing what I was supposed to, and I know I caused her pain.”

“Gwen was happy with you. She was a brilliant queen.”

“She was – and part of why she made such a good queen was because of her perceptiveness. She knew she never had my full heart.”

“She loved you and knew that you loved her… in your own way.”

“But it wasn’t enough, Merlin. All those years she had to play second-best to you. I should have…”

“Arthur, listen to me. It’s easy to look back and wish you’d done things differently. If there’s anyone who knows that, it’s me. Past decisions always seem clearer and easier after the fact. No one has a perfect marriage, but I do know with certainty that most of the noble couples who passed through Camelot had nothing that compared to what you and Gwen shared.”

Arthur wiped away a tear and laughed.

“This is ridiculous,” he said, gripping Merlin’s hand tighter. “I’m trying to propose to my boyfriend.”

“Partner.”

“Manservant.”

“Hey now!”

“And he’s busy reassuring me that I didn’t mistreat my long-dead wife by using her as a convenient diversion for my true feelings for him.”

“It’s more complicated than that and you know it.”

“Anyway… back to the point.”

“Which is?”

“I understand if you don’t want to marry me.”

Merlin used his free hand to brush Arthur’s hair back from his forehead, just as he remembered Hunith doing when he was young and struggling to cope with the complications his magic added to growing up.

“I wasn’t the best example of a husband,” Arthur continued, leaning into Merlin’s touch, “and I’m not even the best boyfriend…”

“Partner.”

“…now. I’m trying to adjust to this new world, and I know it’s been difficult for you to put up with me. Half the time I strut around like I’m still a king…”

“Arthur, you are the once and future king. And more than that, you will always be the king of my heart.”

That earned a kiss to the back of his hand still clutched in Arthur’s.

“… And then other times I find myself overwhelmed by everything that’s different, and I can’t complete the most basic tasks.”

“Well, that’s not really a change from the past. Although there was less danger in Camelot. I’d feel better facing down a herd of questing beasts than leaving you unsupervised in our kitchen again.”

“How was I to know that leaving foil in the microwave would cause a fire?”

Merlin gave him a look. ‘Leave metal out of the microwave’ had been an integral part of Arthur’s first modern cooking lesson, back when Merlin wasn’t yet ready to trust him with operating the stove.

“We finally got the smell out of the house. Thanks to your magic.” Arthur tried to give his best smile. “And I helped you install the new microwave.”

“And nearly electrocuted yourself in the process – I told you to wait until I’d checked the breaker was off.”

“I thought you meant the light switch. Besides, I made you dinner when it was over.”

“You microwaved dry cereal. You’re an idiot.”

“Yes, but you love me.”

“True.”

“Then marry me.”

“Why is this so important to you?”

“Because,” Arthur paused, taking a deep breath, “before, at Camelot, I always kept what was in my heart a secret.”

“You had good reasons.”

“Maybe. Looking back, I’m not so sure. But now that we have a second chance, I want you to know how much I love you…”

“But I do…” No matter how many times he tried to reassure Arthur, it seemed it wasn’t enough.

“And… I want others to know. If we get married, legally I mean, there will be an official record. I looked online…”

“ _You_ went online? _Alone_?” Ever since he’d almost given Merlin’s bankcard information to a supposed-prince selling designer sunglasses at a suspiciously low price, Arthur had refused to navigate the internet without Merlin there to help. 

“Shut up, Merlin, or we can discuss your browsing history. I didn’t realize that there were websites dedicated to ‘hot knights’ but…”

“Fine, fine. You looked online.”

“And I found marriage records going back centuries. I looked at them for hours the other night when I couldn’t sleep – there were so many names of people who I know nothing about, apart from the fact that they loved each other. If we do this, then no matter what happens to me in the future…”

“Nothing is going to happen to you. Nothing bad, anyway. I won’t let it,” Merlin said, raising Arthur’s hand to kiss his wrist.

“I know. But regardless, there will be a formal record that I loved you. I want there to be a ‘bureaucratic document’ as you put it, because I want the world to know. I don’t want that part of us to be a secret hidden away. I want nosy historians, amateur genealogists, bored insomniacs, and whoever else uses that site to find us. I want…”

What else Arthur wanted had to wait, as Merlin had pulled him up, cutting off his words with a kiss. So many times since Arthur had returned, Merlin had felt his heart melt – from the first time they’d embraced, to Arthur’s stumbling love confession, to simply watching him lounge about in the house they now shared, so soft and relaxed in this modern setting that didn’t impose the crushing weight of destinies and prophecy. Merlin would never have guessed that discussions of government records would be the thing that left him completely undone.

“Fine,” he said, breaking off the kiss to give Arthur his answer. “I’ll marry you. But I’m not easy. I expect a tournament.”

“Mario Kart?”

“Exactly.”

“Alright. But first…”

Then Arthur’s lips found Merlin’s and nothing more was said for quite some time.


End file.
